Chapter 7: A curse and A return

"Father, please give it a try. I saw him... his eyes—one yellow, one red," Lily pleaded stubbornly as her father coughed weakly.

"Are you sure?"

"That's impossible, right?"

"Are you saying she's lying?"

"No, but we all know..."

Ignoring the chatter, Lily held her father's thin hand, her tears falling freely. "Can we just try it... please?" she begged.

"My lord, I believe you should listen to your daughter," the high beta interjected with a stern voice. The wolves around them fell silent, their attention now fully on Lily and her father.

After a moment of struggle, the old wolf gritted his teeth. "Fine... try it, Lily," he said with a hopeless expression.

Lily's heart leapt. She hurriedly opened the glass bottle containing Drake's blood and brought it to her father's mouth.

A strong scent filled the air, and the surrounding wolves sniffed the air instinctively.

"Werewolf and vampire?"

"Did she... mix them in desperation?"

"Do you want to say that to her?"

"No... but still—"

The old wolf's eyes brightened as the scent hit him. His voice shook as he asked, "Lily... are you certain this came from one being?"

As a wolf who had lived for nearly a thousand years, he had encountered hybrids before—while hunting them. He was sure of the scent, but the extinction of hybrids made him doubt.

"Yes, Father... try it," Lily urged, her eyes wide with hope as she saw the recognition in his expression.

The old wolf drank eagerly, but as Lily released the empty bottle, her father's body went still. His heart... had stopped.

"Dad... what's wrong?" she whispered, her voice trembling as she realized his heartbeat was gone. The wolves around them could hear it too—there was no heartbeat.

"She killed him!"

"She should be punished!"

"She's guilty by our laws!"

"Yes, she will die!"

"How dare she?!"

With every word, Lily's heart shattered further, and she sobbed harder, her face buried in her father's cold hand.

The high beta growled in anger. "Enough! One more word, and I'll kill you all!" His voice silenced the murmuring wolves, who could only watch Lily sob in anguish.

The wolves knew what this meant. Without their high alpha, their pack was weakened. Vulnerable.

The high beta, calm on the surface, felt a deep, boiling rage within. He and the high alpha had been together for 700 years, bonded by blood and battle. They had fought and killed countless enemies to reach where they stood now. To lose him like this...

Then, suddenly, a heartbeat. Weak at first, but growing stronger with every passing moment.

"He's alive!" a wolf shouted, and the pack exhaled in collective relief. Lily watched in disbelief as her father's massive wolf form stirred. His towering, four-meter body stood tall once more.

"Duke... you're alive," the high beta whispered, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Old friend... Daughter... Pack... Your alpha has returned," Duke declared, his voice booming as he let out a powerful howl.

The high beta howled alongside him, his body also transforming into a towering four-meter wolf. Lily, tears mixing with her smile, transformed as well, her three-meter wolf form joining the pack's cries.

Together, the wolves howled, their voices echoing through the wilderness as they sprinted into the night, their leader reborn.

---

**At La Portaled Quirts**

In a quiet classroom, a teacher paused mid-lesson. A smile formed on her lips as she turned toward the window.

"Dad is alive..."

---

**At the Farm**

A young, lean man, standing 6 feet tall, staggered weakly into the field. "What am I?" he whispered, collapsing to the ground, gasping for air.

Flashbacks flooded his mind. He could see himself killing, or at least trying to. Each time his body moved to take a human life, he fought back—barely keeping control. He was sure of it now: he was a monster. He had seen his reflection in a stream earlier and knew he was no longer human. Most of the time, he was merely an observer in his own body, helpless to stop the instincts driving him to hunt and devour any animal within his scent range.

Lyon's stomach growled in hunger, but his mind was overwhelmed with confusion. "Why can't I remember... anything?" he muttered, as his consciousness faded.

A young woman walking toward her farm noticed him. As she approached, her eyes widened in shock.

"Honey! There's a naked man here!" she shouted, her voice filled with urgency as her husband rushed over.

"Well, isn't he handsome and hot," the man commented, tapping Lyon with his long rifle.

"He sure is... should we take him in?" the woman asked.

"Let's do it," her husband replied, and they carried Lyon inside.

---

Lyon woke up feeling that same emptiness gnawing at him. What he had eaten earlier wasn't enough. His stomach rumbled as he opened his eyes, and in front of him stood a family—a man, a woman, and their two daughters. They stepped back, startled by his sudden movement.

"Where am I?" Lyon groaned, struggling to sit up. He noticed he was dressed in a shirt and trousers, though the shirt was noticeably too short for him.

"You're in Basera," the man replied with a chuckle. "What's a young man like you doing all the way out here in the village?"

"Yeah, you look like a rich kid," the woman added with a smile. The two girls remained quiet, glancing at Lyon with blushes on their faces.

But then, it hit him—the hunger. A deep, insatiable hunger that clawed at his insides. He could feel it. He was going to transform.

"Run…" Lyon growled, clutching his stomach as pain twisted through him.

"Are you okay, young man?" the old man asked, still smiling, thinking it was some kind of joke.

"Argh!" Lyon staggered to his feet, panic in his eyes. They didn't understand. He ran for the door, crashing through the wall in his desperation to get away.

But he didn't get far. Barely a hundred meters from the house, his body changed again. He looked back, horrified, as the family stared at the monstrous creature he had become through the hole in the wall. Fear was etched into their faces.

"No, no... please... look away! Run!" Lyon screamed internally, but this time, he couldn't fight it. He was powerless, a spectator in his own body as the beast within him tore through the family, devouring them one by one.

When it was over, Lyon regained control. His hands, now back to normal, hung limp at his sides. He stared at the blood on them, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Why? What am I? Why can't I control it?" Lyon muttered angrily as he stood, his voice trembling with frustration.

Lyon let out a deep roar, one that echoed through the forest. Animals scattered in terror, fleeing the area.

Elsewhere, Duke and his pack, mid-run, halted as the sound reached them. Their eyes glowed with recognition as they responded with roars of their own.

At the same time, Lily's sister, having returned home from school, felt the change as well. Her eyes turned red, and she, too, released a primal roar. Wolves across the globe followed suit, their voices merging into a chorus that reverberated across the world.

The news that evening reported hearing roars more powerful than those of tigers or lions, spreading shock and fear among humans. Even the vampires were left stunned.

"What could that be?" Kite's sister asked the other high-ranking vampires, visibly shaken.

"Sister… everyone… it seems that an Original Wolf has awakened," Kite replied with a grin. He would soon learn how wrong he was. This wasn't just an Original Werewolf—it was the very first werewolf in history.

---

As Lyon's transformation faded, his massive form shrunk back to his normal height. He stood there, now human again, looking down at the blood and carnage around him. With an emotionless gaze, he began searching the house for clothes. He found a pair of trousers that fit but ignored the too-small shirt. The cold didn't bother him anymore.

He stepped outside, deep in thought.

"I need to leave… I can't control this thing yet," Lyon muttered to himself, just as he was about to step off the road.

Suddenly, a car screeched to a halt in front of him. A woman hurried out.

"Boss! I found you!" she exclaimed excitedly, her eyes lighting up as she looked at Lyon.

Lyon blinked, confused. "Boss? Who are you?"

The woman was striking, with a figure that made Lyon's heart race. He felt an unexpected surge of desire, which he quickly tried to suppress.

"Boss, stop joking," she said with a smile.

"I'm serious... who are you?" Lyon barely managed to ask before everything went black.

"Boss! Boss!" the woman called out as Lyon collapsed.

---

Lyon woke up the next morning at 10 a.m., lying in a comfortable bed. The room was luxurious—equipped with high-end PCs, a massive TV, and air conditioning. Through the large glass window, he could see a sprawling city below. The noise of a busy, developed metropolis filled the air, but from up here, the view was breathtaking.

He glanced down at himself. He was wearing nothing but white boxers.

"She must've changed my clothes," Lyon mused, taking in his muscular frame, the distinct outline of his abs. But the sight only brought him pain as memories of the people he killed rushed back. He clenched his fists, but there was no relief.

The door clicked open, and the woman from before entered.

"Boss!" she greeted with a bright smile, but seeing Lyon's intense gaze made her heart skip a beat, and she blushed.

"Come in. Where am I? And I'm not your boss," Lyon replied, frowning.

"Look at this," she said, ignoring his words as she handed him a large tablet.

Lyon took it and pressed the play button. A video started.

He saw himself speaking, and one part struck him the most.

"If you're watching this, I've likely lost my memory. The other person you've seen is you. Don't fight it. Accept it. Oh, and one more thing... you're the richest man in the world."

The video ended, leaving Lyon stunned. He handed the tablet back to the woman, exhaling deeply as the truth began to sink in.

"So… what happened?" Lyon asked, still trying to piece everything together.

"You told us you were going to do something important, then you disappeared for a year. The board is going to be thrilled to see you again," the woman said, and Lyon nodded, still feeling lost in all this.

"And your name is?" he asked.

"Aliya, boss," she replied with a smile.

"Lovely name. Please guide me in the future," Lyon said, making her blush even harder.

"Of course, boss," Aliya said quickly, turning around to leave, embarrassed by how flustered she felt in front of him.

"You changed my clothes, right?" Lyon asked with a smirk, noticing her reaction.

"I-I... yes. Your wardrobe is over there," Aliya pointed toward the closet before hurrying out of the room.

Lyon chuckled and walked to the wardrobe. He scanned the rows of mostly black coats and picked one that felt right. Looking in the mirror, he saw a handsome, rugged man staring back at him, his beard starting to grow again.

"Where did I go? And how do I accept this body that kills and devours humans? I'm... confused," Lyon thought as he finished getting dressed.

He left the room and headed toward the elevator. The video mentioned his office was on the top floor. He pressed the button, and the elevator whisked him to the highest level.

When he arrived, he could hear the board members arguing over who should be the leader in his absence. He took a deep breath.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered, pushing the door open.

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